Smoke triggers school evacuation at East Gaston High

Published: Friday, November 15, 2013 at 03:04 PM.

A malfunctioning heater triggered a school evacuation at East Gaston High on Friday morning and brought five fire departments along with a fire marshal and paramedics, rushing to the building.

The high-risk fire call came in shortly after 10:30 a.m. Students and faculty reported smoke throughout the building and an electrical burning smell, said Bill Melton of East Gaston Volunteer Fire Department.

A motor in a heating and air conditioning unit had burned out, causing the smoke. Crews used high-pressure fans to clear smoke from hallways and classrooms. Firefighters also used carbon monoxide detectors to make sure the air inside the school was safe before students went back to class.

Fire departments on the scene included those from East Gaston, Community, Lucia-Riverbend, Mount Holly and Spencer Mountain.

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A malfunctioning heater triggered a school evacuation at East Gaston High on Friday morning and brought five fire departments along with a fire marshal and paramedics, rushing to the building.

The high-risk fire call came in shortly after 10:30 a.m. Students and faculty reported smoke throughout the building and an electrical burning smell, said Bill Melton of East Gaston Volunteer Fire Department.

A motor in a heating and air conditioning unit had burned out, causing the smoke. Crews used high-pressure fans to clear smoke from hallways and classrooms. Firefighters also used carbon monoxide detectors to make sure the air inside the school was safe before students went back to class.

Fire departments on the scene included those from East Gaston, Community, Lucia-Riverbend, Mount Holly and Spencer Mountain.